The Effects of Transverse Heat Losses on Longitudinal Heat Transport Observations

Abstract

Transverse heat leaks from specimens, through which longitudinal heat flows occur, are mainly by radiation and conduction through electrical leads when the systems are under high vacuum. Such losses reduce the temperatures at the probe sites. The difference between that indicated and the true temperature at a site in the absence of such losses, increases as the total thermal resistance between probe site and heat sink. This leads to spuriously high indications of thermal conductivity. In thermal contact systems this error can lead to heat flux anomalies and apparently negative temperature drops across the interface, and may also contribute to the so-called ‘directional effect’. Recommended procedures for the reduction of these experimental errors are discussed. Source-sink effectiveness parameters which specify the efficiency of any thermal resistance measuring system, are defined.

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